


Dream

by Black Blossom (DevilishKouhai)



Series: You, in Sky Silver [1]
Category: Fate/Grand Order, Fate/Prototype, Fate/Prototype: Fragments of Sky Silver
Genre: F/M, Unrequited Love, delusional characters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-13 07:29:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,187
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18936247
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DevilishKouhai/pseuds/Black%20Blossom
Summary: She weaves a fairy tale in her final moments. When he drew his sword, instead of pain...she felt indescribable happiness."Did I grant your wish properly, Saber?"





	Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Contains spoilers and headcanons for Fate/Prototype and Fragments.

Her eyes were hazy.

She could barely look at him clearly; everything was blurred. The usual green of his eyes became subdued as her vision slowly became clouded. But she couldn't help smiling. Saber never took the initiative to be this close to her. Were her efforts finally growing fruit? Is he finally looking her way now? She wanted to wrap her arms around him but she suddenly felt weak. Cold. Something was dripping down her stomach, but she didn't know if it felt like anything. Manaka was quite sure she died...not that it mattered.

 _Saber, my lovely Saber. I love you so much_.

He gave her life an entirely different meaning. He taught her love, passion... _ ~~obsession~~_ devotion. Before he came into her life, everything felt so lifeless and boring. When everyone around her fussed over the Holy Grail War, only she did not seem to care. What was the purpose of it all? Summoning great heroes from the past to make a path to The Root--in the first place, she did not need such rituals. From the day she was born, she was already connected to it. It wasn't anything special. Manaka managed to occupy her bouts of ennui by relishing on the hopeless struggles of others. It was amusing to see so much envy and inferiority emitting from someone else. Perhaps the most amusing person she has ever observed was her own sister.

_Ah, dear Ayaka. Your hopeless eyes are so lovely._

She was quite sure she was hated by her own sister. Compared to her, she was an inferior mage. She was average at best. She could not understand why that sister of hers, despite her own mediocrity still struggled. Because of Ayaka, she started to find new activities she can do. If Ayaka wishes to be better in academics, she as her older sister, would naturally take interest in it as well. If Ayaka gets a good grade, she will get full marks. If Ayaka shows interest in cooking, she will start cooking as well. She would wake up every morning, making breakfast and doing mundane tasks just for the complicated look on her sister's expression.

"Is it delicious, Ayaka?"

"Mhmm."

A mixture of envy and affection. _It would have been boring if she was hated._

This persisted for a few more years, until it got boring again. Sometimes, she liked to pretend there really was "love" in her heart, but the "chores" she personally assigned to herself became troublesome.

Being a great mage? Boring.

Being a great sister? Boring?

Being a great daughter? Boring.

Everything was boring her to death. Were creatures connected to The Root fated to such a boring life? She entertained the idea that her hopelessly mediocre sister's struggles for perfection was more enjoyable than her "coveted" life. She thought she was quite envious of Ayaka, but even the thought of envy was so boring and absurd that she pushed it all aside.

But all that changed.

When she first laid eyes on Saber, she thought he was the prince in her fairy tale books. A prince who would sweep her off her feet. Her own prince, who would finally teach her "love".

She always wondered about happy endings; it was such a mysterious and interesting concept that she gradually associated it with her own fairytale prince.

_Saber would free me. He would save me._

Always, always, he never failed saving her.

He protected her, listened to her. Smiled at her.

That is why she loves him.

Amidst her boring life, Saber was the only interesting person she has met. His troubled expression, his forced politeness...the bloodlust in his eyes, which was then followed by an expression of despair--ah, she loved it all.

If death would claim her only to make him look her way, then so be it. The essence of life means nothing to her.

If she is the malignancy that prevents her beloved Saber from granting his wish, then it made sense for her to die.

The short time he spent with her will always be in her heart.

_"Have I granted your wish properly, Saber?"_

She was not sure if he heard her final words, as she did not feel her mouth moving, nor could she see him. She did see, but it was all fantasy she had in her head. She knew the man holding her in his arms, smiling warmly at her was not her Saber. It was merely the prince in her fairytales whom she did not need anymore. Somehow, seeing her beloved Saber looking at her affectionately only made him more unattainable. This fake sense of comfort ached her heart. Seeing her Saber's hateful expression would have been better.

Despite this, she tried to smile for him...from the bottom of her heart.

"Thank you, Saber..."

Even if her words will never reach him...

To be remembered by the only man she loves--everything was worth the risk.

"I love you..."

And now, finally...her happy ending is within her reach.

* * *

 

"Arthur, is it okay if I come in?"

"Yes, please do."

Ritsuka closed the door gently, careful not to make a sound. It was in the middle of the night when she realized she was sharing a dream with one of her servants. Usually, she never confronted them so quickly about it but, Arthur's "dream" bothered her. Rather, that girl...

"Please take a seat."

She politely accepted his offer and made herself comfortable...or she tried her best to. How should she ask him about the dream? Does she need to make a segue? She noticed the unsettling look on Arthur's face that it was enough for her to hesitate on satiating her curiosity. But it was too late. Arthur was too nice and would insist on answering her questions despite his discomfort. She vaguely wondered if that gentle disposition of his contributed to his tragedies, but it was too grim a thought that she immediately shrugged it off.

"Um, first of all...thank you for your hospitality despite the odd hours." Her eloquence apparently was still sound asleep. Arthur held back a chuckle.

"Master, servants like me do not require any sleep. I do not mind. However," Seemingly appreciating Ritsuka's attempts at soothing him, he gave her a playful expression.

"...a lady entering a gentleman's bedroom at odd hours isn't very proper."

Ritsuka almost choked on her tea, as if realizing her behavior for the first time. She felt a thin film of sweat covering her body. Ah, she would probably hear a scolding from Mash tomorrow if she finds out!

"I-I'm aware." She was not, but he only gave a lazy smile in reply.

She wasn't sure why, but she felt like she needed to see him. The look on his face in the dream was so complicated. It was far too different from the usual expressions she was used to. It only grew more suspicious when she noticed the same expression on his face when she woke up. Whoever that light haired girl was in his dream, she was more than sure that it was someone who had a great impact on him.

Yet, why was she here now, attempting to dig more into it? What are these strong feelings she has that urged her to ask him about it?

Arthur, as honest and gentle as he is, did not want to lie to his new master. He was relieved she was here. Perhaps, Ritsuka sensed (even if she is not completely aware herself), that what dreams they shared is part of his memories that he wished to forget. But he knew he would never. _He could never._

"Her name was Manaka. She was...my previous master." She saw him swallow. The jovial atmosphere she was trying her best to maintain all fell apart with just one utterance of that girl's name.

Manaka.

Arthur shared to her some of his experiences with her previous master. As she listened on, she felt a wave of melancholy. Why did she sound so familiar?

"Is she..." she said, unsure. "Is she the master you told me that I resembled?" she recalled their previous conversations. At first, Arthur was being very vague about a particular "sunshine" he felt nostalgic about, but he managed to let his tongue slip one day and mentioned about a previous master.

Was that why his expression was so strange?

"Goodness no!" his denials were so quick and intense that she somehow felt bad for Manaka herself. The lovestruck expression on the girl's face, and the absence of pain in her final moments were odd. Bizarre: especially if it contrasted her servant's current emotional state.

"Manaka is...well...she's unique, to say the least. The person you resembled is someone else, another master." he stuttered on his words, and Ritsuka wondered why it felt like Arthur was sorry she assumed it was Manaka who she resembled.

"Do you hate her?"

She was aware she was being insensitive.

She kept on pushing him. She was imposing, that she knew. Arthur was hanging onto the last strands of his composure, yet she still wondered. However, a part of her somehow knew asking him was the right thing to do.

"Rather than hate her..." he let out a weak laugh. "I feel...like I could have done more for her."

She did not say anything. Arthur had to make sense of his jumbled out thoughts because he never realized how much he regretted. He tossed her aside, the thoughts of her, the feelings he felt when he swung his sword and took her life. Only when Ritsuka asked him did he know that he never actually hated her.

"In the past, I could not protect my country. I have caused it to fall. Yet...he persisted on chasing after my dreams...he tried every means necessary to fulfill my selfish wishes."

"Are you talking about Manaka?"

Arthur shook his head. "No, he was my son, Mordred. But...Manaka reminded me a lot of him. Perhaps that is why I could not completely hate her." His bitter expression somehow grew lighter at his admittance.

"I think this world's Mordred is showered enough of your love. Just seeing you with her, I'm quite confident to say you're a good father, Arthur."

His eyes widened at her statement. It took him a while to gather himself. "Oh, is that how it is, I'm overcompensating."

"No! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it that way! Uhm..." the tea almost spilled at Ritsuka's lap, but luckily, she managed to regain her balance. "What I mean is...Manaka was happy."

"I beg your pardon?"

A faint blush colored on Ritsuka's cheek. That was presumptuous of her to say, however...

"I'm not sure if this head of mine somehow made it all up, but I think I recalled hearing Manaka's final thoughts in your dream."

"!!!"

"She was smiling when you killed her, right? It doesn't have any other meaning rather than she's happy, Arthur. In fact, she only thought of how she has granted your wish when she died." Noting that Arthur remained quiet, Ritsuka continued speaking.

"Manaka had a very empty life before you met her. You taught her something she never thought she'd ever be capable of, and that is love.

She tried her best to love her sister, in fact, she kept up a facade for her and complied to her family's wishes just to feel whole. I think the fact that she feels so empty has been bothering her for most of her life."

Something actually bothered his unflappable (ex) master? The thought of it perplexed him. She had everything all mages in her generation coveted. Despite her privilege, she remained twisted and cruel. He could not understand why only he was the exception for her mercilessness. Is it possible for someone so evil to feel genuine love?

"If they really were Manaka's final thoughts..." Arthur said, forcing a smile. "Then I still couldn't understand her."

Ritsuka couldn't help but sigh. She looked at Arthur and tried to smile back. "A maiden's heart is a puzzle, isn't it? I think I somehow understand her though, even just a bit."

The thought that his master understood Manaka comforted him somewhat. Arthur listened on and tried to wrap his head around his Master's words. He looked at Ritsuka in admiration. "You can understand her?"

"I wouldn't call it a complete understanding," Ritsuka supplied bashfully. "But girls when they're in love become normal girls. Even your previous master, whom you called _unique is_ not above that. At least I think so."

"Is that so..."he pretended to understand, but he gave up."I apologize, master, I think I still don't get it."

"Have you ever been in love, Arthur?"

"What about you, master?"

Ritsuka cringed as he returned the question back to her. She sensed that her diversion worked and Arthur is back to his normal self. She felt herself sigh in relief.

"Curious, are we?"

She winked playfully at him and placed an index finger on her lips.

"It's a secret~♡"

**Author's Note:**

> I was debating on whether I want this published or not. It's a very experimental fic after all. But I thought, why the fudge not. My girl doesn't get a lot of love even in the English community. I wasn't expecting to finish this drabble and for it to be this long. If you enjoyed me trying to understand Manaka as Arthur attempted to, then thank you! I only read a few portions of Prototype and Fragments but Manaka is definitely my favorite character on both (Misaya and Arthur are very close seconds). I hope she gets into FGO soon! (Although, I don't have an Arthur for her. ;; )


End file.
